Marlins on the Strip?

MIAMI — There’s a chance the Marlins may not have a Triple A team in Albuquerque, N.M., next season. That’s because the Dodgers have yet to reach a contract extension with their Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll do so by the cutoff point on Sept. 30.

The Dodgers’ Triple A team had been located in Albuquerque from 1972-2000 — then known as the Dukes — and it seems like they want to move back. If that’s the case, it would be the Marlins that would likely end up in Vegas.

It would also be the Marlins who would be giving up having their young stars play in the beautiful Isotopes Park (right) — finished in 2003. The area of the stadium’s current location was known as the Albuquerque Sports Stadium before most of it was demolished when the Dodgers moved out. Instead, the Triple-A Marlins could be playing in the 25-year-old, less-than-10,000-seat-capacity Cashman Field in Nevada (left).

Another option could be New Orleans, where the Mets look to be moving on.

Teams have until Sept. 11 to let the commissioner’s office know they’d like to consider other options, and they’ll start negotiating in a two-week period beginning Sept. 16.

In an article by the Las Vegas Sun, 51s President Don Logan said he doesn’t feel like the Dodgers will be back, but his organization is guaranteed somebody. He said by the time the smoke clears, it would be the Marlins and Nationals still looking for a Triple-A affiliate.

The 51s were looking to rename their organization, but that’s been put on hold because of the uncertainty.

Currently, the Marlins have agreements with Single-A Greensboro and Jupiter. Albuquerque, as well as Double-A Carolina and short-season Class A Jamestown, are still up in the air, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.